Chapitre 148: Chapter 148: Captain America Returns, Widow Seeks Healing
Clark's words received unanimous agreement from the female agents, Hill and Sharon.
Captain America, having been thoroughly beaten by Tony without a chance to retaliate, and failing to reconcile their differences, suffered both physically and mentally, drastically reducing his combat effectiveness. Furthermore, without his iconic shield, Captain America's abilities were severely compromised, unable to even display a third of his usual strength.
If the enemy was well-prepared, capturing or killing him would not be difficult.
In such a situation, any sensible leader would opt not to kill him outright. A living Captain America could be far more useful, whether for plotting schemes or as a last resort for survival, than a dead one.
Even if the enemy intended to kill Captain America and frame Tony, they wouldn't let him die quietly. Instead, they would ensure his death was as gruesome as possible, with all clues pointing towards Tony. Only then would Clark be driven by rage, losing his rational judgment.
Why would they go through the trouble of covering up their tracks and diluting the effectiveness of their frame-up with such a futile effort?
Taking a deep breath, Clark solemnly added, "First, Bucky's brainwashing and the murder of the Stark parents were revealed to Tony, leading to our immediate confrontation. Then, Captain America was misled by someone to confront Tony. All these events are interlinked, pointing towards Hydra as the only plausible culprit."
After pinpointing the mastermind, Clark immediately asked Bucky, "Bucky, can you recall any Hydra secret bases in Los Angeles?"
"There is one place," Bucky responded, his eyes lighting up before he quickly added, "I was brainwashed there."
As mentioned earlier, the Marvel Universe's mind control abilities are relatively weak, especially within the cinematic universe.
Even the control exerted by the Infinity Stones could be easily broken, so what more could Hydra's brainwashing techniques achieve? However, Hydra was aware of their methods' limitations and thus adopted a more diligent approach.
Instead of seeking a permanent solution, they opted for regular and irregular reprogramming to ensure the brainwashed subjects remained obedient.
For instance, Bucky was brainwashed before each mission following his thawing.
When not needed, he would be refrozen to prevent any idle tampering that might trigger old memories.
Despite these precautions, Bucky occasionally caused trouble, like weakening his brainwashing upon seeing Captain America.
Hydra established secret bases worldwide to reprogram any problematic subjects, essentially adhering to the principle: "Regular brainwashing keeps the dust away."
Upon learning that Bucky remembered a Hydra base, Clark immediately had the Los Angeles panoramic map projected, asking him to pinpoint the location.
Half an hour later, Clark, Bucky, Yi Long, and others raided the secret base, unsurprisingly finding nothing. Hydra had evacuated all related bases at the slightest sign of danger.
With no leads, Clark had Bucky recount his experiences over the decades, using S.H.I.E.L.D.'s satellite system to identify all known Hydra bases he remembered, which were then handed over to Hill for investigation.
Destroying these bases or simply causing trouble for Hydra was deemed satisfactory.
In the following days, S.H.I.E.L.D. covertly locked down Los Angeles, conducting a thorough search while minimizing disturbance to the public.
However, for Hydra, deeply integrated into S.H.I.E.L.D., this effort was futile.
A week passed without any news of Captain America, except for two Hydra bases Bucky knew of but were considered unimportant by Hydra or belonged to a different faction.
On the eighth day, Black Widow visited, bringing a severely injured and weakened Captain America.
"We found the monk who misled Captain America based on a composite sketch from Bucky's memory last night," she said, placing a photo on the table. "However, he committed suicide before we could capture him, leaving only the words 'Hail Hydra.'"
Black Widow nodded slightly, then presented a pile of research on the man, Jonathan Turner, a high school teacher skilled in storytelling but not a monk. He had limited knowledge of Buddhism and had even shaved his head on the morning of the day in question.
Clark understood that someone with genuine Buddhist knowledge wouldn't have made such an error in storytelling, exploiting Captain America and Bucky's lack of knowledge on the subject.
"How did you find Steve then?" Clark inquired, linking the fake monk to Captain America's rescue.
Black Widow smiled seductively, "While we couldn't prevent Turner's suicide, we found clues at his residence that led us to Captain America, imprisoned in a dental clinic's basement."
Clark glanced at Captain America, whose physical and mental state seemed diminished despite the absence of visible injuries from the recent assaults.
Recognizing the genuine Captain America, Clark saw no signs of biomimetic masks, confirming his identity through his robust vitality, a clear indication of his exceptional strength.
Even if Hydra had a perfect substitute capable of deceiving Clark, the real connection between Captain America and Bucky, rooted in their shared history, couldn't be fabricated.
Taking extra precautions, Clark had Bucky take Captain America to rest, suggesting they reminisce about their youth, doubting Hydra could replicate such personal memories.
Despite the smooth rescue raising suspicions of a deeper conspiracy, Clark prioritized settling his debt with S.H.I.E.L.D. before exploring further.
As Black Widow inquired about treatment for her injuries, Clark outlined two healing options, allowing her to choose without immediately discussing terms of compensation.
Previously promising to heal her gunshot wound without scarring, Clark hadn't pressed the issue since their return to the United States. Now, with S.H.I.E.L.D. delivering Captain America safely and choosing Black Widow for the task, the underlying message was clear.
Considering the rescue of Captain America as repayment enough, Clark dismissed the need for additional compensation, suggesting that S.H.I.E.L.D. should cover Black Widow's medical expenses as a work-related injury, aligning with Nick Fury's expected stance.
Black Widow, sensing Clark's businesslike approach, dropped her flirtatious demeanor, seriously asking about his methods for treating her injury without leaving scars.
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